low blood sugar, T1.

[keslouha16]

hello,
I have been diagnosed for 2 years with type 1 and it has finally stablised with my HB1AC at 6%, but lately after I finish eating aproxemnly 2 1/2 hours later my blood sugar drops to below 5.0 and I have no idea why. I keep eating little bits every few hours and its not enough. i take Levemir at 18 units and Novorapid thats at 4-8 units depending on which meal. I dont know how to stop it. If anyone can help or just an idea id be grateful.
Kerry

 

[azure]

Hi @keslouha16

With control problems, usually the first thing to do is to check your basal insulin is right. Once you've got that correct, then you can move to checking your ratios for meals.

Do you count carbs and adjust your fast acting insulin accordingly? Has there been any change recently that may have affected your control eg weight loss?

 

[keslouha16]

i check my carbs before eating and use the set ratio by my consultant. that was checked 2 weeks ago. 10grams = 1 unit at lunch 10 grams = 2 units. no changes apart from my stomach is bloated constantly and gets bigger with time of the month. i dont take any meds at all. just the insulin.

 

[azure]

@keslouha16 If you eat at, say, 6pm and go hypo by 8pm, that suggests your ratio is out - that is, you had more fast acting insulin than you needed for that meal. You could try changing your ratio slightly and see if that helps.

I'm not clear what you're saying about your different ratios and when you have them. It's 1 unit to 10g when? And when do you have the 1 unit to 5g (that is, 2 units for 10g carbs)?

Do you go low after particular meals eg lunch, or do you go low after every meal?

 

[keslouha16]

Ill try lowering the amount by a couple of units. Its usual after lunch and dinner i go low. Breakfeast and dinner is 10 grams to 1 unit and lunch is 10 grams to 2 units. I get so low quickly after ive eaten i have to eat again and its making me tired and feel sick

 

[GBS_82_]

Sounds like you might want to try something more like 0.6 units per 10g. Have you put this to your diabetics care team?

 

[keslouha16]

I was going to call them tomorrow. I just didnt want bother them if its something simple

 

[ronialive]

Ill try lowering the amount by a couple of units. Its usual after lunch and dinner i go low. Breakfeast and dinner is 10 grams to 1 unit and lunch is 10 grams to 2 units. I get so low quickly after ive eaten i have to eat again and its making me tired and feel sick

when you become diabetic and they start to work out ratios for you it is an approximate guess. It is by getting results that they can start to adjust it.
I would suggest that you talk to diabetic nurse and start to learn more so that you can adjust things for yourself.
I am female and find that my changing monthly hormones affect my blood sugars and I have the week after my period when I am much much lower and so I have to change both my basal and bolus.
talk to your dsn and they will help

 

[SRO]

I was going to call them tomorrow. I just didnt want bother them if its something simple

Hi @keslouha16,

Bother them! Always bother them!

I wouldn't think twice about sending a quick e-mail to my nurse - she'll respond when she can and is dead helpful!

Good luck!

 

[CarbsRok]

i check my carbs before eating and use the set ratio by my consultant. that was checked 2 weeks ago. 10grams = 1 unit at lunch 10 grams = 2 units. no changes apart from my stomach is bloated constantly and gets bigger with time of the month. i dont take any meds at all. just the insulin.

If you have a bloated tum and hypos then perhaps enquire about a Coeliac test.

 

[azure]

Ill try lowering the amount by a couple of units. Its usual after lunch and dinner i go low. Breakfeast and dinner is 10 grams to 1 unit and lunch is 10 grams to 2 units. I get so low quickly after ive eaten i have to eat again and its making me tired and feel sick

When you try adjusting your fast acting insulin. it'll help if you eat the same thing for lunch, etc. so you can see the effect.

If you have a half unit pen, then you could adjust even more gradually.

I was taught ratios as 1unit of insulin to X amount of carbs, so apologies if it sounds back to front to you, but if your lunchtime 1 unit to 5g carbs makes you low, then you could consider trying, say, 1 unit to 7g of carbs, or even 8g if you're going really low after eating.

If it was me. I'd be checking my carb counting (I'm not saying you've got that wrong at all, but it's a logical first thing to check just to rule it out) and choosing one meal at a time to adjust my ratios. I'd do this in quite a systematic way - eating the same meal at the same time - until I found a dose that worked.

Good luck and let us know how things go